This invention relates to displays using light valves such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and in particular to a scanning back light source for use with LCDs and other displays using light valves.
LCDs are one of the most widely used display devices. In most of the multi-color and full-color LCDs proposed, a back light source is employed. As explained in more detail in the priority application, Chinese Application Serial No. 92111225.4 referenced above, conventional back light sources are plagued by many problems including low illumination intensity, inadequate color, and high power consumption. The above problems are particularly acute for LCDs used in battery driven devices.
To overcome the above-described disadvantages of conventional systems, the above-referenced Chinese priority application proposed a flat light source where light emission can be provided in a scanning operation for illuminating LCDs. The light source proposed provides light of uniform and adequate intensity that is adjustable. No red, green and blue filters are required so that the LCD system is much more efficient in utilizing light provided by the back light source. The proposed light source has high efficiency and enables high resolution LCD displays and may be cheaper to manufacture than many conventional systems.
In the back light source proposed by the priority Chinese application, priming particles may escape from one gas discharge channel through a hole to an adjacent gas discharge channel. The presence of such priming particles in the next gas-discharge channel that is to be scanned accelerates the gas discharge process in such next channel and speeds up the scanning operation.
An object of the present application is to provide an improved back light source and an improved scanning method that enable higher scanning speed and reliability in a light source that is easy to manufacture.